Device for loading bulk material

ABSTRACT

A device for loading bulk material from a stationary source to a filler pipe located at a chosen spot within a predetermined line of travel. The device comprises a loading hopper which is shiftable along the line of travel and exhibits, at its lower end, a filling mechanism and a conveying pipe, feeding the bulk material to the loading hopper, which conveying pipe is pivotably mounted at its end receiving the material and the outlet end of which opens out into the loading hopper. The loading hopper is closed off at the top by a cover, which exhibits an opening receiving the outlet end of the conveying pipe. The cover is rotatable in relation to the loading hopper, the opening being eccentrically disposed. Expediently, the rim of the loading hopper and the cover are circular.

Since it is difficult to maneuver a transport vehicle for loading withbulk material such that its filler pipe is located precisely below thefilling mechanism, the filling mechanism is constructed so as to behorizontally movable to enable it to be adjusted to the differentposition of the filler pipe. This means that a movable connectionbetween the filling mechanism and the stationary source--for example asilo outlet--has to be provided in the loading device. For this purpose,shiftable loading hoppers have become established which, at the lower,narrow end, support the filling mechanism and whose upper opening, towhich the material is fed from the stationary source, has a widthcorresponding to the line of travel.

Where a silo outlet is disposed directly above the loading hopper(DE-B-1219392), the hopper has, in its direction of travel, a lengthwhich is at least equal to its maximum line of travel. In the extremepositions, said hopper extends from the silo outlet over this entirelength, although its range of conveyance amounts to only half thelength. The spatial requirement is therefore high in relation to theoperating range.

A lower spatial requirement in the direction of travel of the hopper isachieved in the case of another known device (overt prior public use).Here the material is fed to the loading hopper, by means of a conveyingpipe, from a source situated to the side of the path of travel of theloading hopper. To enable that end of the conveying pipe which opens outat the loading hopper to track the movement of the loading hopper, itsother end is pivotably mounted. Upon the movement of the loading hopper,the hopper-side end of the pipe describes a circular movement and movesin relation to the loading hopper transversely to its direction oftravel. The principal extent of said loading hopper therefore liestransversely to the direction of travel. As protection against theescape of dust, it is covered by a displaceable plate exhibiting anopening for the conveying pipe to be passed through. In the respectiveend positions of the hopper, this plate protrudes laterally beyond thehopper to the one side, in the central position of the hopper to theother side. Due to the high lateral spatial requirement which is therebycreated, the parallel arrangement of a plurality of such loading devicesat a small distance apart is not possible.

The object of the present invention is to provide a device for loadingbulk material from a stationary source to a filler pipe located at achosen spot within a predetermined line of travel, which does notexhibit or only to a lesser extent exhibits said disadvantages, which,in particular, requires less space, is inexpensive to manufacture andoffers prospects for the adoption of effective dedusting measures.

The invention achieves this object by the fact that the cover isrotatable in relation to the loading hopper and the opening receivingthe outlet end of the conveying pipe is disposed eccentrically in thecover.

The invention in a preferred form is a device for loading bulk material.The device comprises a conveying pipe having a receiving end forreceiving the bulk material from a stationary source, and an outlet endwhich is movable along an arcuate path relative to the receiving end.The device also includes a loading hopper for receiving the bulkmaterial from the outlet end of the conveying pipe. The loading pipe ismovable along a predetermined line of travel. A rotatable cover isdisposed on the loading hopper. The cover has an eccentrically disposedopening which is connected to the outlet end of the conveying pipe.

Another preferred form of the invention is a device for loading bulkmaterial from a stationary source to a filler pipe located at a chosenspot within a predetermined line of travel. The device has a loadinghopper which is shiftable along the line of travel and exhibits, at itslower end, a filling mechanism. The device further includes a conveyingpipe for feeding the bulk material to the loading hopper. The conveyingpipe is pivotally mounted at the end which receives the material fromthe stationary source. The outlet end of the conveying pipe opens out atthe loading hopper. The loading hopper is closed off by a cover whichhas an opening connected to the outlet end of the conveying pipe. Theopening is movable in relation to the loading hopper at least to theextent of the relative movement of the outlet end of the conveying pipein relation to the loading hopper. The cover is rotatable in relation tothe loading hopper and the opening therein which receives the outlet endof the conveying pipe is eccentrically disposed in the cover.

The term "loading hopper" is intended to cover devices which aresuitable for conducting the bulk material onward out of the conveyingpipe into the filler openings of the transport receptacle and whichexhibit a wide, top-sided opening and a narrower outlet opening.

The term "stationary source" is understood to mean that this source isunable to perform any movement of its own which is dependent upon thetravel movement of the loading hopper.

The term "conveying pipe" is intended to cover any conveying mechanismwhich is suitable for conveying the material from the stationary sourceto the loading hopper and has an essentially non-variable length. Thisincludes pneumatic conveying troughs as well as worm conveyors.

The basis for the invention is the recognition that the outlet end ofthe conveying pipe which describes a circular arc when the loadinghopper is shifted does not necessarily have to describe a lineartransverse movement in relation to the loading hopper, but can alsoperform, in relation to this hopper, a circular arc movement about anaxis situated upright in the hopper (crank gear principle). Thisrotational axis does not necessarily have to be physically present inthis case, the rotatable mounting of the guide device can also beprovided at a radial distance from it. The opening, disposed in thecover of the hopper, for receiving the outlet end of the conveying pipeis radially distanced from the rotational axis of said hopper. Thiseccentricity must be at least half as great as the difference betweenthe greatest and smallest distance between the possible positions of theloading hopper along the line of travel from the swivel point of theconveying pipe.

The horizontal dimensioning of the device according to the invention inthe direction of travel of the hopper is, depending upon the hopperdimensions, only slightly greater than the maximum travel path. Thespatial requirement transversely to the direction of travel is likewisevery low, since the cover, due to its rotational movement, is notdisplaced laterally beyond the hopper rim.

In order to prevent the escape of dust, a seal-tight connection of thecover to the rim of the loading hopper is necessary. This can be moreeasily realized if the cover and the upper rim of the loading hopper areof circular configuration. In order to achieve a seal between the upperhopper rim and the cover rim, there can be provided, if so desired, asliding seal which permits the rotational movement of the cover.

It is advantageous if the loading hopper is rotationally symmetrical andtapers conically in the direction of feed of the bulk material. Thecover is disposed on the loading hopper such that its rotational axiscorresponds to the axis of symmetry. In this way, the inflow and outflowconditions for the bulk material in the loading hopper are independentof its state of travel, since the distance between the discharge openingof the conveying pipe and the discharge opening of the hopper does notvary.

Advantageously, the cover is rotatably mounted on a centrically disposedbearing. This bearing then absorbs the radial forces which are generatedupon the travel movement of the hopper. It further has the effect thatthe contact pressure force of the cover upon the seal of the hopper rimis adjustable and is also constant during the course of a travel cycle.Any escape of dust and premature wearing of the seal is therebyprevented.

It is expedient additionally to provide, in the area of that end of theconveying pipe receiving the bulk material, a dedusting pipe via whichthe dust-laden air is sucked out of the device.

It is often desirable to suck the dust-laden air also out of thereceptacle to be loaded. For this purpose, a dust return conduit isadvantageously provided, the hopper-side end of which opens out into anarea of the loading hopper which, during the travel cycle, is nottraveled over by the conveying pipe, or in other words, the hopper-sideend of the dust return conduit is outside the path of the outlet end ofthe conveying pipe. Such an area exists, since the mouth of theconveying pipe, during the travel movement of the hopper, does notdescribe a full circle in relation to said hopper, but only describes acircular arc. A spatial separation is thereby achieved, over the entirepath of travel of the hopper, between the inflowing bulk material andthe dust-laden air flowing back in the hopper. By means of the hopper,which is conically widened in the direction of flow of the dust-ladenair, an additional dust separation is achieved, thereby furtherimproving the dedusting performance of the device.

In this context, it is advantageous if the conveying pipe, in the areain which it opens out into the loading hopper, additionally exhibits aninner pipe in which the bulk material is fed, the annular space betweenthe inner pipe and the conveying pipe being provided to allow thedust-laden air to flow away. The dust-laden air can then flow awayunimpeded through the inflowing bulk material. It flows through theconveying pipe, in countercurrent to the inflowing bulk material, to thededusting pipe in the area of the material intake. A pressure which isreduced in relation to the ambient pressure is then obtained throughoutthe device, so that, even if slight leaks might possibly still bepresent, any escape of dust is prevented.

The drive for effecting the travel of the hopper can act upon thehopper, upon the conveying pipe or upon other suitable elements of thedevice.

Where a transverse displacement of that discharge opening which opensout into the transport receptacle is additionally necessary, it isexpedient to dispose beneath the loading hopper a second loading hopperinto which the first loading hopper opens out and which is displaceabletransversely to the direction of travel of the first loading hopper.Since, however, the kinematic connection according to the inventionbetween the loading hopper, its cover and the conveying pipe isinsensitive to lateral movement of the loading hopper, even said loadinghopper itself, in addition to its movability in a principal direction,can also be transversely displaceable.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is described below withreference to the drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a diagrammatic view of the device from above,

FIG. 2 shows a sectional view of the device in a plane lyingperpendicular to the direction of travel of the hopper,

FIG. 3 shows a detail from FIG. 2, in which the loading hopper is shown,

FIG. 4 shows the same detail with an additional second loading hopperwhich is displaceable transversely to the direction of travel of thefirst loading hopper.

The device is disposed on a horizontal baseplate 1, which can be, forexample, a component part of a silo. The plate 1 exhibits a rectangularcutout 2, through which there protrudes the loading hopper 3. The hopper3 is displaceable, parallel to the long side of the rectangular cutout,on rails 4 (see FIG. 3). The drive for the displacement of the hopper isnot represented in the drawing. Beneath the hopper 3 and parallel to itsdirection of travel there runs the path of travel (not represented) onwhich the transport receptacles to be filled (likewise not represented)are supplied. The conveying pipe 5 is fastened pivotably on a bearingblock 6. With its hopper-side end 7, it forms a seal with the cover 8.The circular cover 8 is rotatably mounted on a bearing 9. Its outer rimforms, by means of a sliding seal 10, a tight seal with the upper rim ofthe loading hopper 3. The forces acting upon the bearing 9 aretransmitted via struts 11 onto the hopper base. From the cover 8, a pipesection 12 which is fastened thereto protrudes obliquely downwards intothe loading hopper 3. The cover 8 further exhibits a bearing 13 for therotatable mounting of the outlet end 7 of the conveying pipe 5. In thisend 7 there is disposed an inner pipe 14, which opens out into the pipeconnection 12. In the area of the hopper mouth 16 there is disposed adust return conduit 15, which returns the dust-laden air from thereceptacle to be filled into the hopper 3. For reasons of clarity, saidconduit is not represented in FIG. 2.

The conveying pipe is represented as a closed pneumatic conveyingtrough. A worm conveyor, for example, can also be used instead, whichworm conveyor has the advantage that no conveying gradient is necessaryand structural height savings are therefore made and that a preliminaryventilation already takes place therein. This latter is advantageous,above all, in relation to materials having a high air-holding capacity.

Upon the shifting of the hopper 3, the conveying pipe 5 performs aswivel movement about the axis of its bearing block 6. Its outlet end 7hereupon describes, in relation to the baseplate 1, a wide circular arc,the center-point of which is the axis of the bearing block 6 and, inrelation to the loading hopper 3, a narrower circular arc, the centerpoint of which is the bearing 9 of the cover 8. A certain segment 17 ofthe hopper 3 (see FIG. 1) is not in this case swept over by the pipe end7. In this segment there is disposed the hopper-side end of the dustreturn conduit 15.

When the device is operated, the hopper 3 is initially driven into thedesired position. Bulk material is then fed into the material intake 24inclined in the direction of the hopper 3. The bulk material flows undergravitational force through the combined intake/dedusting pipe (similarto 20/14) 18 into the feed end 23 of the conveying pipe 5, saidconveying pipe being likewise inclined in the direction of the hopper 3.It then flows onward through the inner pipe 14 and the pipe connection12 into the loading hopper 3. From the mouth 16 of said loading hopper,it then flows through a loading assembly, known per se, into thetransport receptacle (not represented).

Air is sucked out of the upper opening 19 of the dedusting pipe 18,thereby creating underpressure in the conveying pipe 5 and in the hopper3. The dust-laden air generated in the transport receptacle duringloading is therefore sucked via the dust return conduit 15, one end ofwhich protrudes into the filler pipe of the transport receptacle, intothe hopper 3. Here the dust is partly able to settle and to flow withthe fed bulk material back into the transport receptacle. The remainingdust-laden air is sucked out of the hopper 3 through the annular space20 between the hopper-side end 7 of the conveying pipe 5 and the innerpipe 14. It makes its way through the conveying pipe 5, incountercurrent to the fed bulk material, into the combinedintake/dedusting pipe (similar to 20/14) 18, whence it can be fed tosuitable filtering plants (not represented).

FIG. 4 shows a somewhat modified embodiment of the device. Beneath thefirst loading hopper 3 there is disposed a second loading hopper 21,which is displaceable transversely to the direction of travel of thefirst loading hopper 3. In the two end positions of the hopper 21, themouth 16 of the first hopper 3 is in each case located at the rim of thefiller opening of this second hopper 21. Here, a cover plate 22 preventsthe escape of dust. The dust return conduit 15 exhibits a flexible hosepart 25 to enable the second hopper 21 to be displaced.

I claim:
 1. A device for loading bulk material from a stationary sourceto a filler pipe located at a chosen spot within a predetermined line oftravel, comprising a first loading hopper which is shiftable along theline of travel and includes, at a lower end, a filling mechanism, and aconveying pipe for feeding the bulk material to the first loadinghopper, the conveying pipe having a receiving end for receiving bulkmaterial from the stationary source and an outlet end, the conveyingpipe being pivotally mounted at the receiving end for rotation about afirst axis, said line of travel being remote from and nonintersectingwith said first axis, the first loading hopper being closed off at thetop by a cover having an opening connected to the outlet end of theconveying pipe, the cover being rotatable relative to the first loadinghopper about a hopper axis positioned within said line of travel, saidcover opening and outlet end being offset from said hopper axis wherebythe receiving end of the conveying pipe rotates about said first axisand the outlet end of the conveying pipe rotates around the hopper axisas the first loading hopper moves along said line of travel.
 2. Thedevice as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first loading hopper has anupper rim, the cover has a cover rim, the cover rim and the upper rim ofthe first loading hopper are of circular configuration, and the coverrim forms a tight seal with the upper rim of the first loading hopper.3. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first loading hopper isrotationally symmetrical and tapers conically in the direction of feedof the bulk material.
 4. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein thecover is rotatably mounted on a centrically disposed bearing.
 5. Thedevice as claimed in claim 1, wherein a dedusting pipe is provided atthe receiving end of the conveying pipe.
 6. The device as claimed inclaim 5, wherein the conveying pipe, additionally includes, at itsoutlet end, an inner pipe into which the bulk material is fed therebydefining an annular space between the conveying pipe and inner pipe, theannular space between the inner pipe and the outlet end of the conveyingpipe being provided to allow the dust-laden air to flow away.
 7. Thedevice as claimed in claim 1 wherein the outlet end of the conveyingpipe is movable along a path, a dust return conduit having a hopper-sideend and an opposite end is provided for returning dust-laden air out ofa receptacle in order to load the dust-laden air into the first loadinghopper, the hopper-side end of the dust return conduit opening out intoan area of the hopper which is outside the path of the outlet end of theconveying pipe.
 8. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a secondloading hopper is disposed beneath the first loading hopper, the firstloading hopper opening into the second hopper, the second loading hopperbeing displaceable transversely to the direction of travel of the firstloading hopper.
 9. A device for loading bulk material, comprising:aconveying pipe having a receiving end for receiving the bulk materialfrom a stationary source and an outlet end which is movable along anarcuate path relative to the receiving end, said pipe being rotatable atthe receiving end about a first axis, a loading hopper for receiving thebulk material from the outlet end of the conveying pipe, the loadinghopper being movable along a predetermined line of travel remote fromsaid first axis, and a rotatable cover on the loading hopper rotatableabout a second axis within said line of travel and having an openingwhich is connected to the outlet end of the conveying pipe, said openingand connected outlet end being offset from said second axis wherebymovement of the loading hopper along the line of travel is associatedwith rotational movement of the pipe about the first axis andsimultaneous rotational movement of the cover and outlet end of the pipeabout the second axis.